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NancyLebovitz comments on Contrived infinite-torture scenarios: July 2010 - Less Wrong
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If you ask me, the prevalence of torture scenarios on this site has very little to do with clarity and a great deal to do with a certain kind of autism-y obsession with things that might happen but probably won't.
It's the same mental machinery that makes people avoid sidewalk cracks or worry their parents have poisoned their food.
A lot of times it seems the "rationality" around here simply consists of an environment that enables certain neuroses and personality problems while suppressing more typical ones.
I don't think that being fascinated by extremely low-probability but dramatic possibilities has anything to do with autism. As you imply, people in general tend to do it, though being terrified about airplane crashes might be a better example.
I'd come up with an evolutionary explanation, but a meteor would probably fall on my head if I did that.